Published in the Staten Island Advance: Saturday, April 09, 2011, 1:18 AM

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- When a new ambulatory care center was first imagined for the hospital in West Brighton, the facility was on the cusp of a transition to new owners and was struggling with financial uncertainty.

Now that Richmond University Medical Center has reclaimed its status as a linchpin of Staten Island’s health care network, the dream for the Ambulatory Care and Endoscopy Center has been realized, hospital leadership said yesterday during an emotional groundbreaking ceremony for the $6 million upgrade.

We are going to develop the finest ambulatory care and endoscopy center on Staten Island," said Richard Murphy, president and CEO of the hospital.

Throughout his lifetime, Antonio Meucci (1808-1889) was responsible for many inventions, improvements and ideas. In addition to his discovery of the telephone in 1848 and his development of that instrument over the next 30 years, Meucci manufactured smokeless candles, created a tea and coffee filtering system, made improvements in oil and kerosene lamps, found a way to make paper from wood pulp, and even canned tomato sauce. In keeping with his legacy of ingenuity and innovation, the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum, in conjunction with Time Warner Cable, is sponsoring the Antonio Meucci Young Inventors’ Competition.

As part of its citywide stormwater management effort to reduce stormwater runoff and create a more livable, sustainable city, DEP will be distributing one thousand rain barrels across the City in 2011.

This year they are giving away rain barrels at the following location:

Those scrambling to meet the fast-approaching April 18 tax deadline should be careful they don't miss out on the free and low-cost tax-preparation services being offered across Staten Island. Any taxpayers who have yet to file taxes and have an annual income of $57,000 or less can take advantage of the following opportinities for help: The Food Bank for New York City has two locations on Staten Island offering free help with taxes in both English and Spanish. The location at 1546 Castleton Ave., Port Richmond, is offering help on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between noon and 7 p.m.; the phone number is 646-315-7703. The other location is on the second floor of the Sovereign Bank at 15 Hyatt St., St George.

You may have heard about the Mayor’s proposal to establish a new category of livery cars that can make on-street pickups outside of Manhattan just like yellow cabs do. It will give many New Yorkers a safe, reliable and convenient option for getting around. The program aims to improve taxi availability while bringing yellow-taxi-like amenities (e.g., metered fares, credit/debit card payment, easier-to-spot cabs) to the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. The City wants to hear from residents about your experiences with taxis and car services and has a developed a brief online survey where your voice can be heard.

The Department of Education informed elected officials today that students on the autism spectrum at PS 4 will be placed in IS 75, the school their parents have been requesting for the past year. Senator Andrew Lanza said, "This is a real victory for parents who have children in P.S. 4's Nest program. I applaud the Mayor and the Department of Education for listening to the parents and providing their children with this opportunity for a smooth transition into I.S.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women in New York State. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 15,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Until the cause and cure for breast cancer is found, the best tool in the fight against breast cancer is education and early detection. A mammogram can detect breast cancer almost 24 months before it can be manually detected.